RAILTOWNS.ORG
Safety + Accessibility
Emergency Preparedness
Blocked Crossings holding back your responders?
Railtowns.org can help with that.
When every minute counts, your team can't afford to get held back by a blocked rail crossing.
Every day, first responders across America are stopped due to rail infrastructure challenges like at-grade rail crossings that are blocked by stopped trains. We aim to change that for your teams, by getting you access to real-time and predictive crossing insights that seamlessly integrate with your PSAP.
You start by quantifying your crossings risks and their real-world impact on your response times.
The Emergency Response Intelligence Report equips your first responder teams with crucial insights into the specific real-world risks and delays caused by blocked rail crossings in your community. Through our collaboration with TRAINFO, you can get the report for $0-79 for your railtown or county today!
If you're seeking emergency preparedness training for your teams, emergency response risk assessments, solutions for more​ timely and efficient communications with railroads, first responder EMS best practices, near-term crossing status awareness fixes, pedestrian and driver safety resources and programs, or even help finding and writing for rail infrastructure grants, we're here for you!
We've established partnerships and collaborate with experts, industry nonprofits, and government agencies to get you what you tell us that you need. Sign up for our Emergency Responder email list to stay on top of the latest.
Have questions about an offering, resource,
or event?
Let's talk about it!
You're welcome to book
a 25-minute call
with us today.
Your experience with railroads matters to us!
Participate in Railtowns.org's First Responders National Survey today.
Your responses are anonymous and help us identify how to best support your team's ongoing success.
All About Membership
Finding Funds
The most effective way to make our railtowns safe and accessible is to fund the critical infrastructure and technology solutions needed to address the challenges. We're identifying sources of major and matching funds already set aside to address the issues our communities are struggling to resolve, and building a program to guide members through the process.
Connecting Communities
If you've got a rail-related challenge, chances are good that one of the estimated 14,000+ other railtowns in America has experienced a similar issue, and may be able to help you find a solution. We're developing interest groups that allow your community's first responders, city planners, elected leaders, and transportation departments to learn from and support each other.
Sharing Best Practices
We're working with experts and organizations across the country and around the world to give railtowns access to the best available strategies for addressing critical issues like crossing safety, emergency response, city planning, and maintaining productive relationships with concerned citizens, railroads, government representatives, and the broader community.
Rebuilding Railtown Pride
There was a time when being a railtown was a source of community pride. It meant growth, possibility, access, and a never-ending supply of goods. While our railroads are still serving our communities, they're often seen as rails that divide rather than connect us. We're working to make them an integral part of our communities, and part of our future growth, safety and success.
Who can join?
Railtowns.org membership is open to every American community with current or planned rail access.
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We represent the interests of every railtown community, whether a paid member or not. If you host railroad, you're already an Associate Member without paying a dime!
We rely on paid memberships to cover a significant portion of the costs associated with providing services to railtown communities. The more Full Members we have, the more and better benefits we can deliver for all. Full Members enjoy direct support, their leaders are eligible for participation in our policy building and on our board, their voices and needs shape the resources we gather and build, and their communications jump to the top of our que for quick response.
Visit our Full Membership page to determine the population-based cost for your railtown or county.
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Want to connect us with your Mayor, City Manager, City Council, or County Commissioners about direct support?
Email membership@railtowns.org or book 25 minutes with us, and let's talk about that introduction!